Massage apparatus



Fin... m finu 3 H..|:1||||.r o m u w I I I I 1 I I I- a 5 m I H m f} H H 2 5 7 W M y June 1939- H. F.-THOMAS MASAGE APPARATUS Filed March 8, 1938 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My present invention, in its broad aspect, has to do with improvements in means for massaging, increasing circulation, strengthening, relieving pain, and otherwise functioning as a corrective for disorders of the pedal extremities, and more particularly it is my purpose to mechanically apply by improved massage means corrective treatment to the feet.

Among the many desirable objects of my invention may be included the following; first, the provision of a massage device including suitable rubber rollers and cooperating structure, whereby a foot may be given passive exercise to the end that the circulation of blood is improved, the tone and strength of the muscles increased, and other corrective measures applied to the foot to more nearly approach or reach an ideal condition of the foot from the health standpoint; second, my apparatus is simple in construction and requires a minimum of exertion on the part of the user to obtain its benefits; third, my apparatus is so constructed that it operates with equal facility upon different sizes, shapes, and structural make-up of different feet without the necessity of making complicated or precise adjustments of the apparatus; fourth, my apparatus is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and may be sold at a price within the reach of any ordinary person, and may be used without any particular skill or professional knowledge on the part of the user, and is sufficiently small and compact to be transported from place to place, or stored in a closet or bureau drawer or the like, and has no parts which are liable to get out of order, or broken, or deranged; fifth, my apparatus is so constructed that all of the principal structural features of the foot are operated upon simultaneously, as for instance the phalanx, dorsal, ventral and metatarsal portions, so that a treatment extends to the entire foot rather than to a single part thereof, and; sixth, a degree of cushioning, or resiliency, and of adjustment is provided, which will render the apparatus most effective, comfortable to the user, and adaptable to different conditions of use, as for instance difference in sizes of feet and their shape and construction from the standpoint of individuality.

Other and equally important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art as the detailed description of its several parts proceeds, but it is to be understood that in the detailed description following, that changes may be made in size, shape, construction, relative arrangement and disposition of parts, and the like without departing from the broad inventive concept of my invention.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention: 5 Figure 1 is a side elevation of thesame, partly broken away, to show certain operating parts;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same, partly fragmentary, and shows the relative shape and arrangement of the several rollers, and; 10

Figure 3 is an end elevation with some of the rollers removed.

In the drawing wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views thereof: 16

The numeral I designates a suitable frame which may be of wood, plastic material, light metal or the like, and Which has a bottom part 2 or base on which the frame rests, and parallel, spaced, up-standing side pieces 3. Attached to 20 each side piece 3 by a pair of suitable bolts,-or the like,'designated 4 is a longitudinally arranged rail 5 the upper edge 6 of which lies substantially flush with the top edge of the side piece to which it is attached. Each side piece 5 has an opening drilled therein from top to bottom midway its ends in which is seated a housing member 1 attached to the frame at 8, and over which is mounted flush with the top of each side piece a plate 9; suitable attaching means 30 Ill being provided for that purpose. In an opening provided in each plate is a cylindrical guide member which has an upper part II above the side pieces, and a lower part l2 in the housing member which is reduced in exterior circumfer- 35 ence to provide a shoulder I3 to seat the guide on the plate. Slidably mounted in each guide is a vertically arranged standard M which extends from substantially the bottom of each housing, to a point well above the top end of the 40 upper part I l of each guide, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. At the lower end of each standard I4 is a cup [5 and between each cup and the companion plate 9 and about the standard and the reduced part or lower part l2 of each guide is a compression spring It so that movement of either standard in an upward direction is resisted by a spring it.

Each standard, in the part thereof extending 50 above the part I I has a series of uniformly spaced openings ll in any two of which are journalled the axle ill of a concave roller (hereinafter termed the dorsal roller) designated l9. It will therefore be seen that the dorsal roller I9. is 55 2O suitableforcomfortable,resilient, and unharmmovable up and down with the standards l4,

but against the compression of springs 16.

Beneath the dorsal roller I9 is a transverse roller which cooperates therewith and which isjournalled in the rails 5 as indicated at 2|. Each of the rails 5 have a series of suitably and uniformly spaced bearings near their forward and rear ends, and designated respectively 22 and 23, and in any pair of forward bearings 22 V is mounted. a. small diameter, roller 24hereinafter termed the phalanx roller-which is adjustable toward and away'from said transverse roller by means of said selective bearings. In any pair of'rear bearings 23 is mounted a large roller -hereinafter termed the metatarsaL roller-which is adjustable toward and away from said transverse roller by means of said selective bearings.

All of said rollers of a suitable rubber or other resilient composition fu-lcontact with the surface of a foot.

vA suitable cover A which may have a handle is shown. in dotted linesinFi-gure 3.;

It is also to: be noted: th t the dorsal; roller-"l9 isof approximately. the same length as the; phalanx roller 24;; that the metatarsal roller 25 has a slightly convex surface contour, and is of, less length than the dorsal roller; and-that the transverse roller -lfl1isyofcthe least length of all of the rollers and also has; a slightly convex surface contour.

s I The operation of myinvention' issuggested by the'names given thefvariou's rollers.

bearing upon the upper; part. thereof with mass'agedby moving it; slightly forward and backwardon rollers 20, and 25; with the roller IS a sustained and relatively uniform; pressure. It has been-found that a-treatment of relatively short '7 duration. will givethedesired benefits. V

Itv againemphasizedthat interpretation of my invention should only be 7 conclusive. in the light of thesubjoinedclaims, andthat changes maybe made inthe construction thereof pro.-

vided such changes fall withinthevpurview of suchrclaims and my broad-inventive concept.

lclai'mz' V 1. A. massage device comprising more than two rollers arranged in the same plane with their axes parallel; said rollersbeing spaced and of rela- I9, 20, 2k and 25 are formed".

tively different diameters and lengths and arranged in spaced relationship with the largest roller at one end and the smallest at the other the largest and the intermediate rollers having,

convex exterior contours; another roller above 5 said set of two or more rollers and having a concave exterior contour and resiliently mounted to be urged toward said first'mentioned rollers, and said latter roller being adjustable.

. 2.1A massage device comprising a frame, a 10 series of three rollers carried by the frame, said rollers being of different shapes and sizes and at least two of said rollers having an exterior convex contour and arranged with the largest 'diarneterroller at one end and the smallest di- 15 ameter roller at the other; said rollers being resilient in construction and adjustable on the frame, and another'resilient roller above the first mentioned rollers and having a concave exterior contour; and means carried by the frame for supporting said latter roller, said'means being adjustable.

3. A foot massage apparatus comprising a frame, journal plates carried vby the frame,;a

pair of resiliently mounted standards carried by ried by the journalplates and adjustable with" respect to each other, said rollers ban er different diameters with the largest diameter rolle'r at one end of the frame and the smallest at the other, the largest diameter roller having a convex exterior contour designed to receive the metatarsal part of the foot, the intermediate roller having a'convex exterior contour and designed to receive the transverse arch ball of foot, and the smallest designed to receive the phalanx; a concave rubber roller adjustably'carried. by the standards to press, down upon the dorsal part of the foot, and said series of three rollers being of different lengths.

4. A foot massage apparatus comprising a frame having parallel spaced side pieces, side rails carried on said side pieces and having jour-, nal' openings therein, a pair of springfadl'us'ted standards carriedby said frame between its ends,

a concave resilient roller-adjustably carried by said standards and having a greater diameter at one end than the other; a series of three resilient rollers carried by said side rails andxjournalled therein for adjustment individually and relative each other,'said"rollers graduating in size" from 56 7 one end to the other of said frame, and the largest roller and the intermediate size rollerhaving slightly convex exterior peripheries; the roller 7 carried by the standards being locatedabove the intermediate of the three rollers. 5

HENRY F. THOM.AS..

V as the frame, ,a series of. three rubber, rollers cara 

